Students at these big colleges take more than 4 years to graduate

Getting a degree isn’t just a financial investment — it’s also a major investment of time. Along with researching tuition costs, it’s important to understand how long it will take to graduate before you choose a school to attend.

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That’s why the data analysts at StartClass, an education data site by Graphiq, found the large American universities where the most students take longer than four years to graduate. To do this, they used 2015 data (the most recent available) from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to look at graduation rates at colleges with more than 15,000 undergraduates enrolled. The analysts ranked the schools by the percentage of students who took more than four and no more than six years to graduate. Only colleges with 25 percent or more of its students staying longer than four years were included in this ranking.

The results are ordered by the difference between each institution’s six-year and four-year graduation rate. It is important to note that the six-year graduation rate encompasses all students who graduated within six years, including the students who graduated in four years. For example, Drexel University has a six-year graduation rate of 70 percent and a four-year rate of 28 percent. This means that 42 percent of its enrollees took between four and six years to graduate. This score places Drexel University at No. 4 on our list.

When ties occur, universities are ranked by their six-year graduation rates and then by their Smart Rating. The Smart Rating is a score out of 100 that takes into account an institution’s academic excellence, expert reviews, admissions selectivity, career readiness and financial affordability.

If you’ve just been accepted to one of the colleges on this list, you might want to make sure you’re ready for the long haul. Four years from now, you don’t want to be surprised by credits you still need to complete.

Note: It is possible for universities to have above-average four-year graduation rates and still make this list.

53. Ball State University

Location: Muncie, Ind.
Smart Rating: 86.43
Undergraduates: 16,602
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 35%
- Six-year: 60%
- 25% stay between 4 and 6 years

52. Towson University

Location: Towson, Md.
Smart Rating: 87.7
Undergraduates: 19,049
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 40%
- Six-year: 65%
- 25% stay between 4 and 6 years

51. Washington State University

Location: Pullman, Wash.
Smart Rating: 87.32
Undergraduates: 24,470
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 40%
- Six-year: 65%
- 25% stay between 4 and 6 years

50. University of California, Riverside

Location: Riverside, Calif.
Smart Rating: 90.07
Undergraduates: 18,607
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 41%
- Six-year: 66%
- 25% stay between 4 and 6 years

49. University of Georgia

Location: Athens, Ga.
Smart Rating: 92.31
Undergraduates: 27,547
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 57%
- Six-year: 82%
- 25% stay between 4 and 6 years

48. Texas Tech University

Location: Lubbock, Texas
Smart Rating: 87.5
Undergraduates: 29,237
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 33%
- Six-year: 59%
- 26% stay between 4 and 6 years

47. University of Kentucky

Location: Lexington, Ky.
Smart Rating: 87.72
Undergraduates: 22,705
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 34%
- Six-year: 60%
- 26% stay between 4 and 6 years

46. University of Kansas

Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Smart Rating: 87.12
Undergraduates: 19,245
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 36%
- Six-year: 62%
- 26% stay between 4 and 6 years

45. University of Colorado Boulder

Location: Boulder, Colo.
Smart Rating: 89.12
Undergraduates: 27,142
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 44%
- Six-year: 70%
- 26% stay between 4 and 6 years

44. Illinois State University

Location: Normal, Ill.
Smart Rating: 86.75
Undergraduates: 18,426
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 46%
- Six-year: 72%
- 26% stay between 4 and 6 years

43. University of Illinois at Chicago

Location: Chicago, Ill.
Smart Rating: 88.09
Undergraduates: 17,575
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 30%
- Six-year: 57%
- 27% stay between 4 and 6 years

42. Oklahoma State University

Location: Stillwater, Okla.
Smart Rating: 87.69
Undergraduates: 21,177
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 33%
- Six-year: 60%
- 27% stay between 4 and 6 years

41. University of South Florida

Location: Tampa, Fla.
Smart Rating: 88.05
Undergraduates: 31,111
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 36%
- Six-year: 63%
- 27% stay between 4 and 6 years

40. Colorado State University

Location: Fort Collins, Colo.
Smart Rating: 88.09
Undergraduates: 23,917
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 37%
- Six-year: 64%
- 27% stay between 4 and 6 years

39. Appalachian State University

Location: Boone, N.C.
Smart Rating: 87.5
Undergraduates: 16,290
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 42%
- Six-year: 69%
- 27% stay between 4 and 6 years

38. Hunter College

Location: New York, N.Y.
Smart Rating: 87.62
Undergraduates: 16,550
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 22%
- Six-year: 50%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

37. Temple University

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Smart Rating: 88.32
Undergraduates: 28,609
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 38%
- Six-year: 66%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

36. Baruch College

Location: New York, N.Y.
Smart Rating: 89.25
Undergraduates: 15,254
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 39%
- Six-year: 67%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

35. Purdue University

Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Smart Rating: 91.45
Undergraduates: 30,560
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 42%
- Six-year: 70%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

34. Michigan State University

Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Smart Rating: 91.2
Undergraduates: 39,143
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 50%
- Six-year: 78%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

33. University of Texas at Austin

Location: Austin, Texas
Smart Rating: 92.85
Undergraduates: 39,619
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 51%
- Six-year: 79%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

32. University of Wisconsin–Madison

Location: Madison, Wis.
Smart Rating: 93.14
Undergraduates: 30,991
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 55%
- Six-year: 83%
- 28% stay between 4 and 6 years

31. California State University, Los Angeles

Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Smart Rating: 86.46
Undergraduates: 23,458
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 7%
- Six-year: 36%
- 29% stay between 4 and 6 years

30. Louisiana State University

Location: Baton Rouge, La.
Smart Rating: 88.98
Undergraduates: 26,156
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 38%
- Six-year: 67%
- 29% stay between 4 and 6 years

29. Mississippi State University

Location: Starkville, Miss.
Smart Rating: 87.14
Undergraduates: 17,421
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 31%
- Six-year: 61%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

28. Auburn University

Location: Auburn, Ala.
Smart Rating: 88.87
Undergraduates: 21,786
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 38%
- Six-year: 68%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

27. Iowa State University

Location: Ames, Iowa
Smart Rating: 89.35
Undergraduates: 30,034
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 38%
- Six-year: 68%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

26. Texas A&M University

Location: College Station, Texas
Smart Rating: 91.86
Undergraduates: 48,959
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 49%
- Six-year: 79%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

25. University of California, Davis

Location: Davis, Calif.
Smart Rating: 92.74
Undergraduates: 28,257
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 51%
- Six-year: 81%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

24. University of California, San Diego

Location: La Jolla, Calif.
Smart Rating: 94.08
Undergraduates: 26,590
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 56%
- Six-year: 86%
- 30% stay between 4 and 6 years

23. Queens College

Location: Flushing, N.Y.
Smart Rating: 87.72
Undergraduates: 16,100
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 25%
- Six-year: 56%
- 31% stay between 4 and 6 years

22. Oregon State University

Location: Corvallis, Ore.
Smart Rating: 87.29
Undergraduates: 24,612
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 30%
- Six-year: 61%
- 31% stay between 4 and 6 years

21. University of Oklahoma

Location: Norman, Okla.
Smart Rating: 88.68
Undergraduates: 21,297
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 35%
- Six-year: 66%
- 31% stay between 4 and 6 years

20. University of Central Florida

Location: Orlando, Fla.
Smart Rating: 88.19
Undergraduates: 54,662
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 36%
- Six-year: 67%
- 31% stay between 4 and 6 years

19. University of Tennessee

Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Smart Rating: 88.91
Undergraduates: 21,863
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 37%
- Six-year: 68%
- 31% stay between 4 and 6 years

18. University of Houston

Location: Houston, Texas
Smart Rating: 87.21
Undergraduates: 34,830
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 16%
- Six-year: 48%
- 32% stay between 4 and 6 years

17. Florida International University

Location: Miami, Fla.
Smart Rating: 87.12
Undergraduates: 41,032
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 20%
- Six-year: 52%
- 32% stay between 4 and 6 years

16. University of New Mexico

Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Smart Rating: 86.4
Undergraduates: 21,347
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 15%
- Six-year: 48%
- 33% stay between 4 and 6 years

15. San Diego State University

Location: San Diego, Calif.
Smart Rating: 89.27
Undergraduates: 29,253
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 33%
- Six-year: 66%
- 33% stay between 4 and 6 years

14. North Carolina State University

Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Smart Rating: 91.09
Undergraduates: 24,111
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 41%
- Six-year: 74%
- 33% stay between 4 and 6 years

13. California State University, Fresno

Location: Fresno, Calif.
Smart Rating: 86.82
Undergraduates: 21,482
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 14%
- Six-year: 49%
- 35% stay between 4 and 6 years

12. University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Location: Lincoln, Neb.
Smart Rating: 88.49
Undergraduates: 20,182
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 32%
- Six-year: 67%
- 35% stay between 4 and 6 years

11. University of Utah

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Smart Rating: 88.78
Undergraduates: 23,794
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 24%
- Six-year: 60%
- 36% stay between 4 and 6 years

10. Grand Valley State University

Location: Allendale, Mich.
Smart Rating: 86.39
Undergraduates: 21,972
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 33%
- Six-year: 70%
- 37% stay between 4 and 6 years

9. University of Cincinnati

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Smart Rating: 86.77
Undergraduates: 25,009
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 25%
- Six-year: 63%
- 38% stay between 4 and 6 years

8. California State University, Fullerton

Location: Fullerton, Calif.
Smart Rating: 87.79
Undergraduates: 33,144
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 14%
- Six-year: 53%
- 39% stay between 4 and 6 years

7. San Jose State University

Location: San Jose, Calif.
Smart Rating: 86.7
Undergraduates: 26,822
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 8%
- Six-year: 48%
- 40% stay between 4 and 6 years

6. California Polytechnic State University

Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Smart Rating: 90.28
Undergraduates: 20,049
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 29%
- Six-year: 70%
- 41% stay between 4 and 6 years

5. Georgia Institute of Technology

Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Smart Rating: 94.52
Undergraduates: 15,142
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 41%
- Six-year: 82%
- 41% stay between 4 and 6 years

4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Location: Pomona, Calif.
Smart Rating: 87.26
Undergraduates: 22,157
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 10%
- Six-year: 52%
- 42% stay between 4 and 6 years

3. Drexel University

Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Smart Rating: 87.43
Undergraduates: 16,464
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 28%
- Six-year: 70%
- 42% stay between 4 and 6 years

2. California State University, Long Beach

Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Smart Rating: 87.88
Undergraduates: 32, 195
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 14%
- Six-year: 60%
- 46% stay between 4 and 6 years

1. Brigham Young University

Location: Provo, Utah
Smart Rating: 92.32
Undergraduates: 30,221
Graduation rates
- Four-year: 31%
- Six-year: 78%
- 47% stay between 4 and 6 years